About this time last year, we asked you to name your Liberal Democrat Stars of 2013. Little did we know that what we thought might be an interesting comments thread for a day or two would turn into a six part Liberal Democrat Roll of Honour with some really lovely tributes to some fabulous people.
This year has been pretty a gruelling time to be a Liberal Democrat, I’m not going to lie about that. What’s kept me going, though, is the camaraderie, inspiration and sheer dedication of so many people in this party. This coming year is not going to get any easier. Our colleagues will sustain us in so many ways. It’s good to celebrate them.
This isn’t just about honouring the Great and the Good, although they are as eligible as anyone else. It’s about appreciating anyone from grassroots activist to Cabinet Minister who has made your Liberal Democrat journey easier, more stimulating and satisfying or who has provided comfort and inspiration for the future.
You can make your suggestions in several ways:
- in the comments to this and other posts in the next few days
- by emailing [email protected]
- by tweeting @libdemvoice
Just tell us who you are nominating and why.
I could actually write a book about the great people in this party. Maybe I will some day. Here are a few of the people who have inspired me this year.
Jade O’Neil (formerly Holden)
Representing the party in challenging by-elections is a tough ask. Doing it in unlikely Liberal Democrat and being appreciated across the political spectrum for the way you got your points across in the media is quite a spectacular achievement. Jade did that in the Wintry Scottish Parliament by-election in Cowdenbeath.
She’s also done an amazing job persuading the Scottish Liberal Democrats to adopt sensible policy which would make sex workers safer. If you ever want a Conference debate organising, Jade is the person to do it, making sure that all points were covered.
Jade is about to take over as Convener of Scottish Liberal Democrat Women. We need to see a lot more of her in 2015 and beyond.
Daisy Cooper
Daisy’s late entry into the campaign for the party presidency energised it. She embarked on a mammoth tour around the country which was aimed at inspiring and motivating our campaigners. She has a special talent for bringing former Liberal Democrats back to us which needs to be used in the run up to the General Election and beyond. She may not have won the presidency, but she has an important role to play in the party’s future.
Every single Liberal Democrat organiser
Yes, that’s right, every one of them from Caithness to Cornwall. Campaign organisers do a massive amount of work. They constantly battle deadlines, getting leaflets to printers, sorting out bulk-buying, making sure everyone knows where the campaigning’s happening and that they have all they need to do it. They don’t, as a rule, get paid very much and work ridiculous hours. They usually have candidate, councillors and local and regional party officers wanting them to do what they want RIGHT NOW. Their lives are not going to get any easier in the run-up to May so if you come across one, make sure you are nice to them. Make them coffee and give them biscuits. Help them in whatever way you can. They are special people with the patience of saints and the stamina of Arctic explorers.
Michael Gray
Michael is an activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. Virtually every single time I went into Scottish Party HQ during the European elections and the referendum, I’d find him there picking up yet more campaigning material to get out in his patch. People like Michael, who keep soldiering on when times are hard deserve all our respect and appreciation.
Who are your Liberal Democrat stars of 2014? Let us know.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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23 Comments
Hope Chris Maines is recognised for his many decades of service to the party. He really is the activist’s activist.
Although these kinds of things are best to honour the unspoken heroes, I can’t help but suggest Tim Farron. His Beveridge Memorial Lecture at SLF Conference really electrified the room and gave me a sense of hope for the future of our party (as long as Tim is playing a role at the forefront!).
As a former Organiser, I certainly agree with what you wrote Caron!
Organisers from Caithness to Cornwall? Does Orkney and Shetland manage without one?
Would Kirkwall to Cornwall make it better, Nigel?:-)
Nominations:
Millie McLeod, Aberdeen Donside – Ex-Cllr in Aberdeen and a truly passionate local campaigner. I got some of my first campaign experience for her. A man came out of his house to thank her for helping sort out adapting his bathroom to help his disabled wife. People actually love her in the local area. It’s super impressive. (I also had to be chief in charge of herding Sir Malcolm around during that campaign, which was funny.)
The Scottish Liberal Democrat Press Team – these people work so hard day in day out and we get fantastic coverage for a group of 5 MSPs. Actually in awe of them.
Euan Davidson, Aberdeen Central – His work for improving LGBT rights is so massively inspiring and I’m super proud of him for making us the first party in Scotland to support banning gay conversion therapy. Love you Euan.
Alex White, Dumfries and Galloway – Her speeches about mental health are so so powerful and she’s one of the bravest people I know in the whole entire world. Love you Alex.
Eilidh Macfarlane, Oxford East – if you look at OULD that’s one of the best examples of how to run an LY branch. I don’t know how she finds the time to do all that she does but it’s super impressive. Love you Eilidh.
Tl;dr I love everyone and I’m getting emotional.
Thanks for the nomination Caron – that’s really lovely. Meeting so many activists from across the UK during my three month jaunt was *such* a privilege. I met so many committed, big-hearted, principled and passionate Liberal Democrats of all ages and background it’s genuinely very hard to pick out a few, but I will.
1. Dave Hodgson, Mayor of Bedford. I was really pleased to join the Bedford team for their “5 years of achievements” action weekend. Dave is a phenomenal campaigner and shows leadership in many ways: everything from checking every Monday morning how many children he is responsible for that week, to picking up, dropping off and making cuppas for his amazing team.
2. Hazel Thorpe. Stalwart of Worthing Lib Dems. Hazel invited all of us Presidential candidates to the Worthing Annual Dinner. I sat on a table with six local members / supporters – every one had been asked to get involved by Hazel and none could refuse! (Many others had the same story too). From spa days to raffles, Hazel is the engine behind the local party’s growth.
3. Emma Norman. Town Councillor in Eastleigh. Emma is passionate about dementia care and has the ambition to turn Eastleigh into the country’s first dementia friendly town. You have to meet Emma to witness her passion and commitment to the issue – it’s truly inspiring. I’d love to see her running training sessions, perhaps with ALDC, to share dementia-friendly good practice with other town and district councillors. She’s a newbie but one to watch.
4. As Caron said, EVERY organiser. I knew this was a tough job, but meeting so many of them on my travels has really opened my eyes. We ask a HUGE amount of our organisers and expect them to be multi-skilled, not least in dealing with difficult personalities and competing agendas that often exist in local parties. Invariably on low salaries our organisers do the job for love not money and are some of the most dedicated members we have. We all owe them a huge debt of gratitude and thanks.
5. Our Team 2015 volunteers. At a time when our critics are predicting our demise, there are new people who are not only joining our party, but have decided to get stuck in. It is the commitment of this group of new volunteers – whose support will be targeted – that will determine whether we win or lose some of our key battleground seats. Beyond May, it is these people who we need to embrace and encourage to find their roles in helping us re-build our party.
Absolutely agree on all organisers, but then I used to be one. But a few other ideas along with those already suggested:
Kirklees Lib Dems. A northern council that did well in the council elections in May and with a great team that knows what it’s doing.
Conference Office: We love to moan about conference organisation but the staff who run it work really hard all year round in the background to run our biggest event of the year. This could apply to any year.
LGBT Lib Dems. I never was a member despite being a gay Lib Dem but I just think that in the year that equal marriage became a reality (perhaps the most strongly Lib Dem achievement of our time in government) should get a mention
Everyone who knocks on doors: It’s not as easy to do or to get the motivation to do, as it was, so anyone who does, especially in places where our election results haven’t been good, deserves our respect
Parliamentary by-election candidates: Everyone who has agreed to stand for us in a parliamentary by-election at the moment deserves a huge thanks from the rest of us in the party. It’s not easy
My nominations are ;
Jasper Gerard – PPC for the Maidstone and Weald who has put a lot of hard work to make sure that Maidstone and Weald becomes a Liberal Democrat hold in May 2015. He’s always out campaigning rain or shine. He and his wife even spent Christmas Day helping out the homeless people of Maidstone
Anna Tarrant – South East Liberal Democrats Administrator, Anna is great Administrator for the South East Liberal Democrats, she’s always on call what ever hour the day / night it is. Also she devotes a lot of time for the executive and the party too.
How about our Party leader? he articulated a clear vision for the future of Europe in TV debates and in interviews and writings around the time of the Election to the European Parliament in June. Since then he has continued to be a strong and rational voice for Liberalism in the European Union.
…..yes I nominate our Party Leader: Guy Verhofstadt.
Guy Verhofstadt, the best Liberal Democrat Leader by far.
A star Liberal Democrat Leader in 2014.
A strong voice for Liberalism –
(because he actually believes in it – a huge advantage over any Neo-Thatcherite Centrist who might come to mind)
I agree with Steve Comer.
Great nominations. Can I add the Lib Dem Voice team? Caron, Stephen, Paul,Mary, Joe and anyone else I have missed? You give us that place to talk and think we need and whether it’s thinking through new ideas, commenting on the current issues or letting off steam, this site is invaluable. You put so much into it (and I’m sure there’s plenty us mortals aren’t aware of) and it’s not always appreciated. This thread is an overdue chance to thank you.
Hope you have all had a happy and restful Christmas.
I would like to nominate the Chair of the Social Liberal Forum, Naomi Smith. Whether you think the party is moving to the right or not, and whether you think being in Coalition is the cause of this or not, Naomi has been a tireless force for not just social liberalism but liberalism in the party generally, a continual pressure on the party to do no more than we have to in appeasing our Coalition partners. While others have waxed and waned (me included!) with the pressures of our work and outside lives, Naomi has continued to lead the SLF with vigour, intelligence and perseverance, despite her own high-powered and demanding job, and stopped many from leaving the party, whatever the likes of Jenny Jones might say. Keep on in 2015, Naomi, it’s gong to be even more important!
Lerwick to Land’s End would be better :o)
In a party dominated by white dwarves and black holes, I should like to nominate Robert Hamilton. A true orange giant.
A Septugenarian who delivered 1500 leaflets per month as well as being ward chair, treasurer and painful wisecracker.
Robert , tragically,was knocked off his bicycle and killed by someone opening a car door in his path. Since he was a believer in the afterlife, he must truly remain watching over us as a star.
Scilly’s to Shetland surely!
Mark Williams MP (Lib Dem, Ceredigion), Cllr. Elizabeth Evans (Lib Dem Assembly Spokesperson for Ceredigion), Alec Dauncey (Chair of Ceredigion Liberal Democrats) and Michael Woods (Chief Campaign Officer for Ceredigion)
Yes, I know I am always going to be slightly biased towards Ceredigion but since Mark’s election to Parliament in 2005 (and his successful re-election in 2010) Ceredigion has become the shining star of Liberalism in Wales that it always was. Yes, we have had our downs in the last four years (losing three seats on the council and dropping from second to third in the Euros) but despite all that our membership is higher now than it was in 2010.
I’d actually like to nominate Anders Hanson (who posted above), who has been a great regional chair, and very helpful with some stuff I needed help with as a newly minted area chair; Mick Taylor for being the best treasurer a chair could wish for and being totally on top of all the technical money stuff that I have no clue about; and my core team in Calderdale – James Baker, Alisdair, Janet, Ashley, Christine, Malcolm, Our Shutty, Ruth G & Ruth C-T. We might be a bunch of fractious argumentative sods in Calderdale, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’d like to nominate all our London councillors and activists who lost out in 2014, with special mention for some good friends & colleagues:
• Bob Sullivan and the Waltham Forest Lib Dems – after 30 years working extremely hard and standing up for one of the most deprived wards in London Bob undeservedly lost his seat in Leyton ward, along with all our hard working councillors in Waltham Forest, amidst the tidal wave of losses we received in London in May.
• Liz Green and the Kingston Lib Dems – steering the Kingston party through some difficult times Liz and all the councillors and activists there held their own in some of the hardest elections we’ve faced in Kingston for a long time. And Roisin Miller and Rosie were essentail to keeping the wheels moving all the way through!
• Terry Stacy and the Islington Lib Dems (of which I’m still a local member) – put up a brave fight in Islington, losing out by just 10 votes in Terry’s ward and battling hard but unsuccessfully against the Labour surge in all our target wards. Paul Swain my friend and our organiser put up with a lot of moaning and badgering from me alone, so who knows what he had to put up with from everyone else! -He barely slept in the final week of the campaign and did us proud.
These are just a few examples but I could go on to talk about campaigns in Haringey, Southwark, Brent… and more inside and outside of London where people put their heart and souls into campaigns that swam as hard as they could against the national tide but just couldn’t make it over the line.
Thanks Daisy for your acknowledgement . I nominate John Lovell, an activist of many years at both local and regional level , Treasurer, Campaign manager,, agent, canvasser, data manager, desktop publisher , … every role you can possibly name he’s done it and ultimately cajoler of sometimes reluctant stars . Thanks John for your continued support and the latest green Focus !! My other nomination is County Cllr Robin Rogers, who is working in the background beavering away at ward work and essential groundwork, one of our many unsung heroes across the country.
I would have to say Ian Sharer, the Lib Dem council group leader and Dawood Akhoon his colleague in the Cazenove ward in Hackney. Even John Kerry noticed what is happening there; http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-crime-fighting-london-jews-claim-model-for-muslim-cooperation-2014-10?IR=T
See also http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/opinion-lessons-taught-hackney-schools-working-together/
And they survived the local elections in May, defending a majority of just 200.
I would like to nominate several people.
Caron Lindsay who seems to have 95 hour (minimum)s in every day to give to the party….not to mention Bob, Anna and Hazel the dog for letting her.
Suzanne Fletcher who has given so much in Stockton Borough area and as foremost member of Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary who are seking to improve conditions for seekers of asylum in the UK.
Richard Good as my past campaign agent in Richmond (Yorks) who keeps the flag flying in North Yorkshire. So supportive to me over the last 10 years.
Lynne Primmer from Skipton – who tries to keep the Skipton and Ripon Team on track and has been so kind and supportive in my campaign in that constituency so far.
The MSP Team. Holding it together in Scotland since 2012.
Many thanks to Willie, Jim, Liam, Tavish and Alison.
All have punched together above their numerical strength
Thanks to all